Irene Papas
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Irene Papas or Pappas (Greek: Ειρήνη Παππά, romanized: Eiríni Pappá, born Eirini Lelekou [Ειρήνη Λελέκου]; 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a distinguished Greek actress and singer whose international career spanned more than five decades and encompassed over 70 films. She gained worldwide recognition for her passionate, statuesque performances and her classical Greek beauty, becoming one of the most iconic figures in Greek and international cinema. Born in Chiliomodi, Corinthia, she studied at the National Theatre Drama School. She began her career in theatre and film in the late 1940s. She achieved international acclaim through her collaboration with director Michael Cacoyannis, starring in film adaptations of ancient tragedies such as "Electra" (1962), "Iphigenia" (1977), and "The Trojan Women" (1971)—the latter alongside Katharine Hepburn and Vanessa Redgrave. At the same time, she appeared in major international productions such as "The Guns of Navarone" (1961)—alongside Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn—Michael Cacoyannis’s "Zorba the Greek" (1964), Costa-Gavras’s political thriller "Z" (1969), and the epic production "The Message" (1976). Beyond acting, she also distinguished herself in music, collaborating with renowned artists such as Vangelis Papathanassiou (on the album "Odes") and Mikis Theodorakis. Irene Papas received numerous awards at international festivals, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2009. She passed away in 2022 at the age of 93, leaving behind an invaluable cultural legacy.
Known for
Credits
The Guns of Navarone (1961)
as Maria Pappadimos
Zorba the Greek (1964)
as Widow
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
as Drosoula
Party (1996)
as Irene
Erendira (1983)
as Grandmother Amadis
Lion of the Desert (1981)
as Mabrouka
Into the Night (1985)
as Shaheen Parvici
The Deserter (1983)
as Mariangela
The Message (1976)
as Hind
Z (1969)
as Hélène
Jacob (1994)
as Rebekka
Island (1989)
as Marquise
Iphigenia (1977)
as Klytaimnistra
Morceaux de Cannes (2021)
Actor
Behold Man - The Survivors (1969)
as Anna
Trap for the Assassin (1966)
as Julia de Noirville
Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
as Queen Catherine
A Talking Picture (2003)
as Helena
Le avventure di Ulisse (1969)
as Penelope
Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)
as Jocasta Constantine
Plato's Banquet (1989)
as Diotime
Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)
as Dona Aurelia Avallone
Bloodline (1979)
as Simonetta Palazzi
Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1987)
as Madre de Angela
The Moon-Spinners (1964)
as Sophia
Bouboulina (1959)
as Laskarina Bouboulina
Bambina (1974)
as Raimonda Spina
We Still Kill the Old Way (1967)
as Luisa Roscio
The Brotherhood (1968)
as Ida Ginetta
Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979)
as Giulia Venere
Attila (1954)
as Grune
A Dream of Kings (1969)
as Caliope
The Battle of Sutjeska (1973)
as Borina majka
Theodora, Slave Empress (1954)
as Faidia
N.P. - The Secret (1972)
as Casalinga
Oasis of Fear (1971)
as Barbara Slater
Ring of Darkness (1979)
as Raffaella
The Trojan Women (1971)
as Helen
The Man From Cairo (1953)
as Yvonne Lebeau
Electra (1962)
as Elektra
Roma bene (1971)
as Elena Teopoulos
The Odyssey (1969)
as Penelope
The Steps (1966)
as Joana
The Unfaithfuls (1953)
as Luisa Azzali
High Season (1987)
as Penelope
Antigone (1961)
as Antigone
Moses the Lawgiver (1976)
as Zippora
A Child Called Jesus (1987)
as Old Maria
Sweet Country (1987)
as Mrs. Araya
The Murder of Julius Caesar (1972)
as Calpurnia
The Assisi Underground (1985)
as Mother Giuseppina
Witness Out of Hell (1967)
as Lea Weiss
The Lake of Sighs (1959)
as Frosyni
L'assistente sociale tutto pepe... (1981)
as La Signora
Lettera da Parigi (1993)
as Gina
Inquietude (1998)
as Mother
The Desperate Ones (1967)
as Ajmi
Pssst ... girls! (1959)
as Eleni
Il falso bugiardo (2008)
as Self (archive footage)
Yerma (1999)
as Vieja pagana
Blood Wedding (1977)
as La mère
Vortice (1953)
as Clara
1931: Once Upon a Time in New York (1973)
as Donna Mimma
1821 at the Cinema (2021)
as (archive footage)
...and the train leaves for the sky (2001)
as Elena Michailovna
Up, Down and Sideways (1992)
as Μαρία
The Missing Scientists (1954)
as Gina
The Balad of Mamelouk (1982)
as Mamluk's Mother
Fallen Angels (1948)
as Liana
Afghanistan For What? (1984)
Actor
Dead City (1951)
as Lena
Un Amore Rubato (1993)
Actor